US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (C) smiles as US President Barack Obama (R) delivers remarks on the Defense Strategic Review at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Also pictutred is Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter (L). President Obama vowed Thursday that the US military would maintain its “superiority” and bolster its presence in Asia despite planned cuts to the defense budget. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)